A long-range early-warning radar system that the air force is to buy from the US is scheduled to become operational in five years, defense sources said yesterday. The system will be capable of detecting both the ballistic missiles and cruise missiles that China might use in an attack on Taiwan.
The early-warning radar is designed to provide sufficient time for the military to prepare for missile attacks from China, whether of the ballistic or cruise missile type. It would serve as the eyes for the Patriot PAC-3 anti-missile system that the army is to buy from the US.
In a recent closed-door briefing for legislators on the Legislative Yuan's National Defense Committee, the air force expressed optimism about the benefits of the much-anticipated early-warning radar. But one of the legislators who attended the briefing said that if he were a military leader, he would not be so optimistic.
The legislator, who declined to be identified because an agreement with the military prevents him from disclosing the contents of the briefing, said the early-warning radar would be effective only for a short time since it could not detect all of the ballistic and cruise missiles in China's inventory.
"But even considering the limited capabilities of the early-warning radar that the US is to sell us, the system is still necessary for us to defend against missile threats from China," the legislator said.
The air force has not made public what kind of early-warning radar it plans to buy from the US, but two types have been reported to be under consideration. One is the PAVEPAW system, made by Raytheon, and the other is a modified version of Lockheed Martin's SPY-1 radar, which is currently under development. SPY-1 is a radar system for AEGIS-class ships.
The PAVEPAW has a range of 3,000km while the modified version of the SPY-1 has a much shorter range.
A defense official said that a longer-range radar system like the PAVEPAW is much more desirable than a shorter-range, one but that shorter-range systems achieve greater accuracy.
The air force initially planned to buy two sets of long-range early-warning radar but now plans to buy only one because of budget constraints.
The cost of buying two sets of radar has been estimated at about NT$30 billion (US$909 million).
Two deployment sites were chosen over three years ago for the two early-warning radars. One site is in northern Hsinchu County and the other in southern Pingtung County. As the planned purchase has been reduced from two sets to one, the Pingtung site has been abandoned in favor of the one in Hsinchu.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Kao Chung-yuan (
"We must try to establish satellite links for the anti-missile defense system that is to be comprised of long-range early-warning radar and missile defense systems such as the PAC-III. We do not see the possibility of acquiring such vital satellite links any time soon," Kao said.
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) today condemned the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) after the Czech officials confirmed that Chinese agents had surveilled Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) during her visit to Prague in March last year. Czech Military Intelligence director Petr Bartovsky yesterday said that Chinese operatives had attempted to create the conditions to carry out a demonstrative incident involving Hsiao, going as far as to plan a collision with her car. Hsiao was vice president-elect at the time. The MAC said that it has requested an explanation and demanded a public apology from Beijing. The CCP has repeatedly ignored the desires
Many Chinese spouses required to submit proof of having renounced their Chinese household registration have either completed the process or provided affidavits ahead of the June 30 deadline, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said on Thursday. Of the 12,146 people required to submit the proof, 5,534 had done so as of Wednesday, MAC deputy head and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. Another 2,572 people who met conditions for exemption or deferral from submitting proof of deregistration — such as those with serious illnesses or injuries — have submitted affidavits instead, he said. “As long as individuals are willing to cooperate with the legal
The Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant’s license has expired and it cannot simply be restarted, the Executive Yuan said today, ahead of national debates on the nuclear power referendum. The No. 2 reactor at the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County was disconnected from the nation’s power grid and completely shut down on May 17, the day its license expired. The government would prioritize people’s safety and conduct necessary evaluations and checks if there is a need to extend the service life of the reactor, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) told a news conference. Lee said that the referendum would read: “Do
The Ministry of Environment yesterday held a seminar in Taipei for experts from Taiwan and Japan to exchange their experiences on the designs and development of public toilets. Japan Toilet Association chairman Kohei Yamamoto said that he was impressed with the eco-toilet set up at Daan Forest Park, adding that Japan still faces issues regarding public restrooms despite the progress it made over the past decades. For example, an all-gender toilet was set up in Kabukicho in Tokyo’s Shinjuku District several years ago, but it caused a public backlash and was rebuilt into traditional men’s and women’s toilets, he said. Japan Toilet Association
RSS